BNP leader goes missing in Kaptai Lake

A local BNP leader has gone missing in Kaptai Lake after setting out on a business trip by boat, prompting a joint search operation by the Bangladesh Navy, Fire Service and Police.

The missing man, Md Masud, 50, president of Ward No. 6 BNP under Kaptai Union, has been unaccounted for since leaving for Bilaichhari with grocery supplies on Thursday.

On Saturday afternoon, locals spotted his engine-powered boat drifting near the Garjantila area of Kaptai Lake. The boat was recovered with its cargo—including rice, lentils, eggs and gas cylinders—still intact, but there was no trace of Masud.

Navy divers, firefighters and police launched a joint search operation on Saturday evening that continued until around 10:00 pm, but failed to locate him. The search resumed on Sunday.

According to the family members, Masud regularly transported grocery items by boat to nearby markets and usually returned home by Friday evening or Saturday morning. When he failed to return, relatives informed police and the Fire Service.

Kaptai Union BNP Organising Secretary Md Shahabuddin said Masud is believed to have gone missing while returning from Bilaichhari to Kaptai.

Sheikh Mahmudul Hasan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kaptai Police Station, said, "Preliminary findings suggest Masud may have accidentally fallen into the lake while travelling."

"The exact circumstances remain unclear and the search operation is continuing," he added.